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AUDIO FORUMS >> D.I.Y. >> DIY Technical Thread
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Message started by Donnie on 08/10/19 at 00:08:11

Title: DIY Technical Thread
Post by Donnie on 08/10/19 at 00:08:11

I think that instead of hijacking other threads about Steve's or any of the rest of our posts with technical questions on how to cut or finish or whatever... I'd start a place to discuss things.
I'll start,
How in the world do cut angles with my table saw correctly?
I can crank it over to the left from facing the front face, but not to the right.
Do I put my fence to the left side, flip the part, cut to a mark??
It is looking like I will need to cut some weird angles to make my Wicked One, how do I get from here to there?

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by Archie on 08/10/19 at 00:49:17

I put the fence on either side of the blade. When cutting bevels I always run the wood so it's not trapped under the blade so I don't burn and kick-back. So, that means my fence is on the left side of the blade on my saw (the wrong side). It can be tricky to not tear up the good face of finished plywood sometimes though.

Make lots of practice cuts. The fence scale is useless for angles other than as a relative guide. I set an bevel on an adjustable angle guide and then zero in on it with the blade tilt checking both the blade angle and the finished cut.

BTW, even if you have a sliding compound miter saw, sometimes the table saw gives more consistent cuts.

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by deucekazoo on 08/10/19 at 19:20:50

For doing angles on any machine I would recommend picking up one of these. This makes getting the angle you need easier and accurate. The one I bought was GemRed 82305 from Amazon. It works great.

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by Donnie on 08/10/19 at 22:02:21

Deuce, that is cool. Mine is a old style that I have had for 40 years. No fancy digital on it!

For mounting drivers to the speakers I use these things.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-2-Count-10-Brass-Standard-SAE-Wood-Insert-Lock-Nuts/3012571

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by ZYGI on 08/11/19 at 01:40:53

And sometimes for angles greater than a 45, you have to run the pice vertical.

I use a slider with clamps for that...safest way I know.

Zygi

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by Rich Evans on 04/03/20 at 15:54:25

When running things vertical through the table saaw, you have extra hands to help I am guessing? That sounds absolutely terrifying and I am someone who has removed all the OSHA protective guards off my table saw (Shhh. Don't tell anyone about that)

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by Rich Evans on 04/06/20 at 13:28:33

What about a panel saw to use when making those big odd cuts? I'm thinking that setting up a panel saw would be a much safer way to go than standing up a big (and heavy) panel on the table saw.

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by deucekazoo on 04/06/20 at 14:24:57

Rich,
Panel saws are nice but cost too much and take up a lot of space. I would recommend a track saw. I think Festool was the original maker but a few others are making them now too. It s an extruded aluminum rail your saw rides on to give you perfect cuts. So instead of fighting with the sheet of plywood you just put the plywood on saw horses and align the rail and cut away. The saw is also designed to plunge down (spring loaded) so you can cut accurately in the middle of a sheet.

https://www.festoolusa.com/power-tools/track-saws#Intro

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by Rich Evans on 04/06/20 at 15:42:02

About 10 years ago I inherited all of my ffather's wood working tools. Cars in garages is a dream, not a reality. I just need to invest the time to become proficient with them. Adding a panel saw does not bother me and is likely cheaper than a Festool option. Those babies are not cheap.

I was just wondering if that would be a viable alternative to getting the difficult cuts. I don't have experience with using a panel saw (or a festool).

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by Donnie on 04/06/20 at 17:31:31

I've been using these Kreg tools with some success.

https://www.kregtool.com/store/c48/saw-attachments/p465/accu-cuttrade-xl/

https://www.kregtool.com/store/c48/saw-attachments/p424/rip-cuttrade/

The Rip-Cut is nice for getting a piece roughed out for my table saw and the Accu-Cut is handy for long cuts. But remember, they are only as good as your measurements are.

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by deucekazoo on 04/07/20 at 14:22:07

Like I mentioned there is a few options out there to chose from. I just mentioned the Festool because that is what I have and it works perfectly for me. That is also the only Festool I have. Their prices are a little high but they are great tools. I also think Makita makes something similar and Kreg as mentioned.
To me a panel saw is great for ripping sheets down to manageable size. You are stuck to cutting vertical or horizontal, so to get those hard cuts you would have to get creative. I think a track saw would be easier to use for those cuts but as Donnie mentioned, your cuts are only as good as your measurements. That goes for any tool you use.
If you want to see a panel saw in action go to a Lowes or Home Depot (when you are allowed) and watch them cut with it. If you have a Wood Craft or a good wood shop close to you they will let you try out a track saw. See which one will be better for your needs.

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by Rich Evans on 04/20/20 at 13:12:48

so far, the tools are not my limitation. :) I was just thinking about the corner horns, although I have nowhere to put them if I ever build a pair. I just enjoy trying my hand at the designs to see if I end up with something worth listening to. In my most recent example, that did not happen. Yet.

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by Donnie on 10/18/20 at 03:19:43

I'm getting ready to start a new speaker project and am looking for some ideas about joinery and things like that.

The speakers are small 8" wide X 12.5" tall X 8.5" deep using .750" material.

The idea of making these out of real wood instead of MDF is really starting to intrigue me. I did go through a period of thought about veneering over MDF, I've done this before with some luck, so I won't throw out that idea if a better way doesn't come up.

Anyway, I notice that the local Menard's has wood planks of varying widths and lengths that end up being .750 thick.
My idea right now is the glue up several species of wood, probably some combination of mahogany and either maple or hickory, into planks of around 9" wide to give me something to work with. Simple enough I think.

My big sticking point right now would be on how to join all of this together?
I don't think that butt joints would look at all good, so what to do?

Miter cuts? Finger joints? Dovetails? What else is out there?

As far as wood working skills, I'm one hell of a metalworker! If you want to build some kind of complex device out of metal I'm your guy, if you can afford me!
So I need guidance on how to approach this. I figure that I have the basic mechanical skills to be able to do this kind of work, but need a bit of insight on the best direction to take.

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by dank on 10/19/20 at 17:16:03

Here's my solid wood project that may give you some ideas. Its a cremation urn. Gives "death box" a whole new meaning. The build was actually very therapeutic: It was something I could do and gave me some time to think.

I've never liked the look of dove tail joints, and I'm pretty sure I'd screw up mitered, so I just stuck with butt joints. I think they look good. To me, its the contrasts in the piece that make it special and interesting. Knots and distressed areas do this, but the butt joint can be a part of that too.

I used some 1.5" thick black walnut planks I cut with an Alaskan Lumber Mill chain saw guide about 10 years ago. They have been sitting for 10 years, warping, and waiting for a project. I cut them down to the width I needed with a dado blade on a radial arm saw, and then sanded the heck out of them. Deb actually planted that tree when we were 1st married in 1982.

When it was all done, I had enough material left over to build a second one. I decided, based on the health and age of our immediate family, that we would probably need one in the not too distant future. The top for #2 had a couple big knots and one spot that was "eaten" all the way through. All that distress just made it even more beautiful, in my opinion

Dan

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by Donnie on 10/19/20 at 21:21:30

Dan,
I'm impressed! Very nice indeed.

You have given me inspiration!

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by deucekazoo on 10/21/20 at 23:43:27

Donnie,
Not sure if you have a router table.
But if you have a router and a straight rail it should work.

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by 4krow on 10/22/20 at 01:40:59

Since day one, I have incorporated a router table with my table saw. This lets me use the saw fence as a guide if needed. Good quality bits make a difference as well. When it comes to joints, make sure that the wood grain can handle what you are planning on. Dovetail joints are great when the wood allows. I don't care for miter joints as much since getting them lined up and glued right can be an issue. I have used a Liegh jig in the past, but you had better be patient, and it is also best to use 2 different routers for the process. Having a router that is powerful enough makes a big difference too.
With this speaker, I used dado, miter and butt joints.

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by Donnie on 10/22/20 at 22:12:02

I don't have a router table but my buddy does....
My hand router is a monstrous Bosch that intimidates the heck out of me.
I am under the impression that if it ever got buried in a cut that it would spin me around like a one bladed propellor until the extension cord finally pulled out of the wall. (Note to self, stop using the 100 foot extension cord.)

A co-worker just gave me a $100 Lowe's gift card for building him his Barn Destroyers ( I always feel dirty taking money for my speakers, they don't impress me as being good enough to sell to someone), unfortunately the only hard wood that they sell at the local Lowe's is Poplar and Red Oak. I'm not a big fan of oak, but maybe as an accent??

So as of right now I'm leaning towards poplar with maybe a 1" or so wide red oak "stripe" running down the center, or possibly running at a angle or something really fancy like that.

Or just build the speaker out of MDF and paint it red.
Didn't Dirty Harry say something to the effect of "A man needs to know his limitations"?

Title: Re: DIY Technical Thread
Post by Archie on 10/22/20 at 22:57:08

Poplar is a "junk" wood and has always been considered as a paint-grade wood. I've used miles of it for painted trim. Works great for that. And paint it red! ;D